There is some game development going on in Michigan now, said Cristopher Boyer, Detroit Chapter spokesman for the International Game Developers Association.

“There isn’t a huge amount, but there are a handful of official, legitimate companies — about five — with about 100 people employed altogether,” he said.

“However, there are other companies that are beginning to engage in game development or use game-development principles in other avenues such as advertising and marketing, and you’ll find another 80 or so people employed via that capacity.”

There are independents, too, working on their own time, hoping to build commercial successes, Boyer said.